This application claims priority to United Kingdom patent application 0019510.7, filed Aug. 8, 2000, and which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for reducing misalignment of articles conveyed by a conveyor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conveyors are typically used to move articles, such as, for example, packets of snack foods, in manufacturing and/or packaging processes. Such conveyors typically run at high speed.
Unfortunately, articles can become misaligned on the conveyor, thereby causing problems in the manufacturing and/or packaging processes.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an economical and effective system for improving the degree of alignment of conveyed articles.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
Objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an apparatus including a conveyor and an aligning device. The conveyor conveys articles in a conveying direction along a predetermined conveying path, the conveyed articles having a desired direction of alignment relative to the conveying direction and being conveyed so that a misaligned article tends to project laterally from the conveying path. The aligning device includes at least one projection traveling cyclically adjacent to the conveying path so as to contact a conveyed, misaligned article and thereby rotate the conveyed, misaligned article to reduce misalignment.
Objects of the present invention are also achieved by providing an apparatus comprising a conveyor and a projection. The conveyor conveys articles in a conveying direction along a predetermined conveying path, the conveyed articles having a desired direction of alignment relative to the conveying direction and being conveyed so that a misaligned article tends to project laterally from the conveying path. The projection travels cyclically adjacent to the conveying path so as to contact a conveyed, misaligned article and thereby rotate the conveyed, misaligned article to reduce misalignment.
Moreover, objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an apparatus including a conveyor and a rotary element. The conveyor conveys articles in a conveying direction along a predetermined conveying path, the conveyed articles having a desired direction of alignment relative to the conveying direction and being conveyed so that a misaligned article tends to project laterally from the conveying path. The rotary element has a projection projecting therefrom. The rotary element rotates and is positioned so that the projection travels cyclically adjacent to the conveying path so as to contact a conveyed, misaligned article and thereby rotate the conveyed, misaligned article to reduce misalignment.
Objects of the present invention are further achieved by providing a method including (a) conveying articles in a conveying direction along a predetermined conveying path, the conveyed articles having a desired direction of alignment relative to the conveying direction and being conveyed so that a misaligned article tends to project laterally from the conveying path; and (b) causing an element to travel cyclically adjacent to the conveying path so as to contact a conveyed, misaligned article and thereby rotate the conveyed, misaligned article to reduce misalignment.
In addition, objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an apparatus which aligns articles conveyed in a conveying direction along a predetermined conveying path, the conveyed articles having a desired direction of alignment relative to the conveying direction and being conveyed so that a misaligned article tends to project laterally from the conveying path. The apparatus includes an element traveling cyclically adjacent to the conveying path so as to contact a conveyed, misaligned article and thereby rotate the conveyed, misaligned article to reduce misalignment. The element could be, for example, some type of projection. However, the present invention is not limited to the element being a projection, and other types of elements which perform the intended operation will suffice.